Auburn mayor previews State of the City, highlights homelessness and substance-use response and 2024 budget choices

Nancy Backus, mayor of Auburn, discussed the city’s response to homelessness and substance use disorder and previewed her Feb. 26 State of the City during an episode of the podcast That’s So Auburn.

The mayor said Auburn’s human‑services and anti‑homelessness teams recorded 472 unique interactions with people experiencing homelessness in 2024 and that city staff housed 205 of them. “I don't believe anyone is a throwaway. I believe every human has value,” Backus said, framing the city’s approach as focused on both services and accountability.

Why this matters: Backus said the city has shifted funds and staffing priorities to respond to escalating drug problems and visible homelessness, and that recent budgets included additions intended to support public safety and facilities. During the interview she described how substance‑use patterns in Auburn have changed over the last decade — from methamphetamine to heroin and, most recently, fentanyl — and said those shifts prompted new human‑services work and budget decisions.

Backus recounted choices made early in the COVID‑19 pandemic — including closing a youth theater production and city buildings — as examples of rapid operational decisions the city had to take to protect vulnerable residents and staff. She described those emergency changes as part of a larger pivot in city operations: “we were able to pivot, keep everyone safe, and we kept the city moving,” she said, crediting city staff and information‑technology upgrades that enabled remote work.

On budget and staffing, Backus said the council confronted difficult tradeoffs during the budget process but found a path to fund several priorities. She told the podcast the 2024 budget process included requests from department directors that were challenging to reconcile, but that the council ultimately made funding decisions that included personnel and facility investments. The mayor also noted that the council added officers to the police department during the budget cycle, saying, “And adding 10 more police officers to our department.”

The mayor placed the human‑services work in context, praising the city’s team by name and noting the scale of outreach last year. She said: “our human services team led by Kent Hay, the anti‑homelessness team, had, I believe, 472 unique interactions with individuals, and they housed 205 of them.” Backus emphasized a combined approach of compassion and accountability: “You have to have compassion. But without accountability, there absolutely is no community.”

Looking ahead, Backus used the podcast to invite residents to the city’s State of the City presentation on Feb. 26 at the Muckleshoot Event Center, saying the event will emphasize vision for 2025 and feature short videos about local businesses and city staff. “I think it will be a great time,” she said; admission is free but registration is required.

Discussion vs. formal actions: The podcast is an interview, not a formal council meeting transcript, and it does not record roll‑call votes. Backus described council decisions and budget outcomes in summary form; the episode did not include an on‑record motion or vote transcript. Where Backus described outcomes (for example, personnel added or budgeted facility work), the article reports her characterization of council decisions as stated on the podcast.

For residents: Backus said the city will continue to focus on human services, public‑safety staffing and facilities in 2025, and urged community involvement at the State of the City. “I hope that you come and you are proud once you walk through the door about the community,” she said.